The
group had scheduled a trip to the La Mesa Watershed to make
an ocular inspection of the area’s avifauna in anticipation
of the reopening of the former forest resort. The vision:
to propose a birding site as part of the reopened resort.
The plan: a long drive inside the watershed followed by a
short hike to the lake and dam. The driving force: Mike’s
lethal desire to see wild ducks. It was at the last minute
when I decided to join and at around 4:30 AM, I sent a message
to Mike that I would be coming so I met up with Jon, Pia and
Jed at the Shell Select Shop in Regalado Avenue. A quick breakfast
of an Asado Siopao and half a bottle of mineral water and
then we were off, together with Mads, Lu-Ann, Kitty and Sean
toward Quirino Avenue. Mike had already indicated that he
will be late so it was up to us to look for the gate of the
La Mesa Watershed and as expected, the diminutive portal escaped
our eyes at first pass. We had to stop along the roadside
and after some consultations by phone, we turned back and
finally saw the entrance.

It
was already 5:45 AM when we got off our vehicles and about
a minute later, Mike arrived with Arne, Nilo and Marc. Forester
Glen met us and there was a huddle followed by a short orientation.
The hike would start a few kilometers further down the road
and it was decided that my car and that of Sean may not be
able to withstand the rough roads. They will have to be left
behind so we both took a ride in Jed’s FX together with
Pia and Jon in a convoy of four vehicles in the undulating
dirt track.

At
about 6:15 AM, we stepped off the vehicles and started to
hike. Five minutes into the trek, Arne signaled us to stop
and be quiet. There were bird calls being heard from the trees
but no sight of the critter still. It was not decided what
it was and Arne gave a short lecture on how Brown Shrikes
could imitate other calls and that what we heard could be
them with one of their exotic calls. On the same note, he
also mentioned how he was able to previously document an Island
Thrush make fifteen different calls!

We
continued walking and then Jon saw a large, dark gliding bird
which all too suddenly disappeared into the trees at the north.
We were not able to identify it although I heard from the
guys at the back of the pack that it may be a Brahminy Kite.
We then saw a bird fly overhead and Jon said it was a Black-Naped
Oriole but since it was gone in an instant, we just concentrated
on the two Flyeaters at the top of an Ipil-ipil tree in front
of us.

We
continued on our trek and along the path, Forester Glen pointed
to a tree which he identified as a Malabulak and explained
to us that it was frequented by orioles. There were none,
however, at that time. It was already 6:30 in the morning
and it was starting to become frustrating. A lot of bird sounds
to be heard but no wings or beaks to be seen. Nevertheless,
the peace and calm that this forest in the city could provide
truly are remarkable, considering that only a concrete fence
separates it from a busy avenue.

Five
minutes later, our attention was caught by a solitary bird
perched at the very top of an Agojo tree at our back. The
people at the rear saw it and we noted its brown color and
streaks in the chest. It demonstrated the characteristic flying
pattern of a Flycatcher several times with short dives and
kept returning to its perch. After a long deliberation, Arne
and Jon agreed that it was a GREY-STREAKED FLYCATCHER. As
we went on, Jon noted the call of a Flowerpecker while Pia
and the others were looking at LOWLAND WHITE-EYES. I couldn’t
see them, however, and turned my eyes instead on a Black-Naped
Oriole which flew overhead. I would have wanted to look at
it longer but it had already disappeared into the trees at
the other side of the road. What was left to see was a pair
of dragonflies busy buzzing at each other.

As
we walked onward, the next bird we saw was another Gray-Streaked
Flycatcher hopping from one leafless tree to another. It was
just above us and it provided us with a good view so no deliberations
were needed this time. The people in front announced the sight
of another Lowland White-Eye but I was too late and the creature
has again eluded me. It was 6:50 AM and the sun was already
rising, its rays directly pointing at our eyes making it very
difficult to see in front of us. The ground, however, is now
better illuminated and a Japanese snail was seen crawling
in the ground, much unlike the others of its kind I saw earlier
which were just empty shells.

We
halted our walk upon sight of a bird in a nearby tree which
Arne promptly identified as an ARCTIC WARBLER. I was amazed
at how quickly Arne and Forester Glen could spot the birds
immediately upon hearing their calls. Even more amazing was
how Forester Glen could easily identify them when he wasn’t
even holding a pair of binoculars. I started wondering how
long it would take me to develop these skills when these guys
have practically devoted a lifetime to this endeavor. I was
beginning to worry that a group as large as ours would be
very noisy and scare away the birds so I decided to stay in
front of the pack near Arne so I could benefit with his prowess.

We
again stopped in an area which we noticed to be devoid of
grass and shrubs. Forester Glen explained to us that it was
deliberately cleared to act as a firewall. As we started to
walk again, we saw a BROWN SHRIKE sitting quietly in a branch
of a tree. A short distance later, we reached a stream with
a wooden bridge. At the right side was a piece of wood poking
up from the water where a COMMON KINGFISHER was perched. Far
from the other side of the bridge was a PIED FANTAIL and in
the opposite side of the stream was a GREY WAGTAIL walking
along the bank. It flew across the water and landed near a
spot where another Common Kingfisher was resting in a piece
of dried wood.

We
explored the area east of the bridge and saw a PHILIPPINE
PYGMY WOODPECKER climbing up a tree trunk. Far into the distance,
Mike and Marc said they saw what they think was a LITTLE HERON
but I was not able to see it. We trekked by the side of the
stream past a broken down concrete bridge and had to stop
to wait for the others. The foresters warned that we would
have to step on ankle-deep mud if we want to continue on.
We decided to go for it in our desire to see the wild ducks.

It
was already 7:45 AM. A lot of quick steps to avoid sinking
in the mud and we were soon in the banks of the lake. One
of the foresters chopped a number of dead wooden poles to
act as stepping stones but these cracked when stepped upon
and we all had shoes enveloped by moist earth. The lake had
grass growing in its banks and we lined up in this stretch
of turf in order not to sink deeper. Mike spotted a second
Little Heron which flew low above the water before finally
disappearing behind the shrubs. Another Common Kingfisher
was spotted sitting still in one of a number of poles sticking
out of the water. Two more came out from nowhere and chased
each other across the stream. Another one followed them later
and all three soon darted back into the shrubs in the opposite
bank. In a leafless tree to our right was an OLIVE-BACKED
SUNBIRD face-to-face with a dragonfly perched in a nearby
branch. The sunbird stayed for a few minutes and even turned
around to afford us different views of its body while the
dragonfly made several short flights but kept returning to
the same branch, seemingly oblivious to the presence of the
much larger bird right in front of it. A number of small birds,
probably five or six, circled overhead. They were too far
to be properly identified but Arne said they were PHILIPPINE
SWIFTLETS. He also pointed to the east where he could hear
the sweet songs of Minivets but they were nowhere to be seen.

By
8:00 AM, we were still in a halt at the banks of the lake
when a PIED TRILLER flew overhead and landed in a tree. Mads
reported a COMMON MOORHEN in the opposite bank but try as
we could, Mike and I could not train our binoculars on them.
Instead, our sights were attracted by a Little Heron that
flew across the water and back. We stayed a little more in
the hope of spotting the ducks. What Mads saw, however, was
a fish carcass teeming with flies presumably left over by
a raptor in a tree in the opposite side of the lake. This
unusual sight had everybody amazed. What was even more amazing
for me was that everybody saw the flies while I could not
even see the fish!

We
gave up waiting for the ducks in this part of the watershed
so we started walking back. Upon passing by the concrete bridge,
we saw another Gray Wagtail investigating the area. We continued
hiking until we got back to the area of the firewall to assemble
ourselves again. We turned to take another trail where the
foresters would lead us to a larger part of the lake. In the
background, we heard the sound of a Gecko. At about the same
time, I spotted a raptor hovering in the distance. I called
the attention of Mike and Arne and they said it was a kind
of Sparrowhawk. Arne enumerated the four types of Sparrowhawks
that could be found here but the bird was too far to be specifically
identified.

As
we continued walking, we noted that whereas the first path
we took was a dirt road, this one was more of a trail with
lots of bushes. We stopped when a large brown bird flew slowly
around us low above the ground and disappeared into the thicket.
I thought I saw a Coucal but almost everyone of the more experienced
birders agreed that it was a Nightjar. What was not immediately
agreed upon, however, was whether it was a Great Eared Nightjar
or Grey Nightjar. A deliberation was again in order and after
a few minutes of going over and over the Kennedy, it was declared
that what we saw was a GREAT-EARED NIGHTJAR. During this time,
the calls of a lot of Flyeaters covered the background.

We
continued on the trail and saw two Olive-Backed Sunbirds flying
from one tree to another which the foresters identified as
Akleng Parang. While looking at another tree which they said
was a Niyog-Niyogan, another Black-Naped Oriole flew by. Arne
and Mike saw the bird but it remained elusive to me. I have
long wanted to see one as its picture in the Fisher guidebook
has long caught my fancy.

It
was almost 9:00 AM and the trail we were taking has now been
reduced to a mere footpath with knee-high grass. There was
a large patch of weeds resembling the Baby’s Breath
used in flower arrangements. Mike pointed out how they formed
a sea of clouds in the ground. Jon and I, however, were more
engrossed with the memory of corndogs popular in our high
school and college years. How these popped into the conversation
we do not know, but it was probably brought about by the hunger
pangs which we were beginning to feel by now. The path was
also strewn with thorny plants and one by one the members
of the group starting with Marc and Sean were struck with
splinters either in the legs or in the arms. I, however, managed
to keep away from them.

We
had covered quite a distance from the body of water we left
about an hour and a half ago and as we walked, I overheard
one of the foresters mention that the ducks there usually
appeared at 10:00 AM. Good grief! Had we waited, we would
be seeing them any moment now!

We
walked single-file into the path whose weeds and grass were
now chest-high. Arne reported the calls of Arctic Warblers
and PHILIPPINE BULBULS. I long for the day when I myself could
identify these critters simply by listening to them. Instead,
I heard a strange noise close to my right and deep in the
grass similar to a bark from a frightened puppy. The others
heard no such sound but I swear there was something in there
and I never cared to find out what it was. We noticed the
rest of the gang at the back of the file looking up at the
sky so we stopped. Arne said they could only see about six
BARN SWALLOWS but Mike said there was a raptor that dived
down and disappeared. We continued but had to stop again after
we heard a “tsuk” from not very far away. Arne
said it was the call of a RED-CRESTED MALKOHA but we could
not find it. A large bird appeared and flew swiftly into the
woods away from us. Jon said what he saw was a raptor and
a conversation developed when everybody started describing
how it looked like. A forester said it had wings similar to
a bat, Jon described it as “masama ang dating”
while Mads saw it as “parang kontra-bida.”

We
finally spotted water at 9:30 AM and the foresters instructed
us to walk slowly so as not to scare off any ducks that might
be there. As we approached, we spotted the slow flight of
one... two... three... seven large birds! Mike identified
them as BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS crossing over to the other
side of this large body of water. Another one appeared and
followed the others, making a total of eight. As I exulted
in glory on my first sight of large birds this close, the
foresters warned me of the presence of a trap for Monitor
Lizards just beside my feet. They checked the contraption
and found out that it was non-functional and has probably
been long-abandoned. Good!

As
the excitement waned, another Nightjar flew three or four
meters away from us in a wavy pattern and then disappeared
in the bushes. It had white spots near the tip of its wings
and as we scrambled for our guidebooks, two Pied Fantails
flew in front of us. After a short discussion, Arne and Mike
agreed that that was a PHILIPPINE NIGHTJAR.

As
we proceeded near the water, Arne identified the call of a
YELLOW-BELLIED WHISTLER and announced the sight of an ORIENTAL
MAGPIE-ROBIN landing in a branch in the other side of the
lake. I was not able to see it but a second one followed across
the water and this time it didn’t escape my eyes. There
was a swooshing sound from the middle of the lake and Jon
and Nilo said they saw a bird dive and fly away but they were
not able to identify it. One of the Black-Crowned Night-Herons
returned and gave us a good view of itself when it landed
in a tree not very far from us.

We
finally reached the shores of the lake and found a nice place
for a little rest. Some of the foresters who arrived ahead
of us were already doing just that. And oh, they mentioned
that when they arrived there were two ducks which had already
taken off by the time we got there! Great! Arne announced
that it was a good time to bring out our lunch boxes. None
of us had one! Thirst and hunger was beginning to get the
best of me and I knew that this was going to be my lesson
for the day.

As
we rested, another Pied Fantail flew by and made calls similar
to a Brown Shrike’s. Again, Arne lectured on bird calls.
My attention, however, were on four more returning Night-Herons
flying slowly in front of us. Two of them went away again,
but three others returned. I already lost count so I just
listened to the rest of Arne’s lecture.

We
then walked by the side of the water and I noticed the presence
of pink snail eggs at the lower portions of some of the tree
trunks in the soil bordering the lake. These were the eggs
of kuhol and no longer could I see the Japanese Snails which
were present in the forested areas. At the top of these trees
were what looked like the remnants of nests of the Night-Herons.
As we were looking at them, four more of the Night-Herons
flew by and once again caught my attention.

By
10:15 AM, we decided to start walking back. Our departure,
however, was set aside by a few minutes to give way to Arne’s
short but emotional talk on the state of nature conservation
in the Philippines. In the background, we could hear the calls
of PHILIPPINE COUCALS. In the foreground, Sean lay flat in
the grass trying to catch his second wind. We finally started
marching and again I overheard one of the foresters mention
that the ducks in this body of water usually appeared at around
5:00 AM. Hehehe... and they brought us to the other one first
and to this one last? My luck also ran out with the thorns.
My left hand was struck by one of the prickly shrubs and planted
a number of splinters in my left index finger. Ouch!

On
and on we marched under the noontime sun high up in the sky.
There were fewer and fewer bird calls heard along the way
and my throat was getting drier and drier. I wallowed in the
occasional breeze that appeared each time we came across the
clearings. One of these particularly strong gusts of wind
brought a birding emergency. A nest was blown from the trees
and landed right in front of us! Lu-Ann and a few other members
of the pack even saw a small bird going after its home but
flew away upon seeing us. We investigated the nest and saw
three small white eggs inside. We didn’t know what to
do with it and after a short exchange of ideas, everyone decided
to just leave the nest with the eggs inside and placed it
in a branch of a small tree.

At
11:45 AM, we finally reached the point where we stepped down
from the vehicles and everybody went for their drinks. The
other half of my mineral water that I haven’t consumed,
however, was in my car which we left behind by the gates so
there was no relief in site for my thirst. As we boarded the
vehicles, it was announced that we were going to drive toward
another site with a tower overlooking the entire watershed.
A few kilometers of bumpy roads and we had to stop when Jon
and Pia saw a raptor outside the window. We stepped down and
noticed that the people in the other vehicles ahead of us
had also done the same. We were too late, however, and the
raptor was no longer in view.

A
few hundred meters more and we were at the foot of the steel
tower. We negotiated the three flights of stairs that were
getting steeper as we went up. The wind was strong at the
top and there was a commanding view of the Sierra Madre mountains,
Antipolo and the Ortigas area, among others. There were a
lot of swifts and swallows flying in the area and another
sound similar to the “tsuk” we heard earlier was
appreciated from below. A WHITE-BREASTED WOOD-SWALLOW was
seen fighting the strong wind. We exchanged some stories while
Sean dozed off in the tower. I had a short conversation with
Forester Glen and he said that we actually walked seven or
eight kilometers! A few more minutes and we all decided to
leave.

By
12:40 PM, we were at the parking lot. Famined and dehydrated,
I reached for the bottle of mineral water I had in my car.
It was burning hot from the heat of the sun but still I gulped
with reckless abandon. There were discussions going on about
heading to a nearby subdivision for more birding after a short
lunch but I promised to bring Armi to the Cacti and Succulent
Society of the Philippines Annual Show so I had to go home.
Besides, I was dead tired and my feet were burning. It was,
however, a very wonderful trip, far different from the two
others that I had joined. I had a lot of exercise, shed a
bucketful of sweat, met some new friends, heard a number of
lectures, spotted so many birds, and SAW NO DUCKS! :-)

The
2,700 hectares of La Meza Dam includes several habitats. It
is largely reforested
since the 1970’s and again in the late 1990’s.
Approximately 1,800 hectares are under forest cover and 300
hectares are open areas, pastures and areas under cultivation.
The dam is about 600 hectares and several portions are shallow
with exposed mudflats, swampforest, reed and other swamp vegetation.

Due
to the combination of habitats and being largely undisturbed
by humans (hunting appears to be very limited), the reservation
functions as an important breeding and roosting area for a
variety of wildlife species including birds.

The
Wild Bird Club of the Philippines reconnaissance trip observed
38 species. However, the number of species is much higher.
A UNDP-GEF sponsored ornithological inventory in portions
of the reservations revealed 25 species. Of these, this WBCP-trip
observed 11. Together with the UNDP- inventory the combined
list is around 52 species. However, the field staff of the
reservation is very familiar with other species including
three species of owls. Potentially, the reservation may host
around 100 bird species

This
could be revealed if other habitats are being visited and
access are being granted. Particularly the oldest forest portions
and the dam with its different types of wetlands are important
areas. Among the potential species to be observed are migratory
birds such as raptors and ducks given the nearby location
of the Sierra Madres and Angat Dam. Particularly the eastern
watchtower will serve as a perfect study site in the month
of April and September-October. Access to better view areas
of the water bodies is also very needed.
Arne Jensen December 13, 2003